Alan Duncan: "If nothing else, we must give them hope."
"Mr Speaker, I have just chaired the second day of the War Summit, and will be reporting back to the house after the third day. The talks are going well and I wish to reassure this Chamber that we are coming to a great conclusion with our greatest allies. Mr Speaker, we have the full weight of the world on our shoulders. I see that evermore in government. We face the total inhalation of our armies and people and an invasion of unspeakable aggression. We have many, many long and often rewardless months before us of suffering. It's a question of victory and survival. We win, we survive. We lose and I am sure the Chamber can imagine the consequence. Men will die. I can only speak few words, for words mean very little to so many. But, the few words I do have for this house and this government, come from the heart and I have never been more serious in my life. The concept of pain and heartache is one very rarely felt by highend politicians. We are taught, from our first public duty, to never attach emotions to the work. War is different. While in a state of war, it is extremely ignorant to turn a blind eye. While in a state of war, it is not the government bringing an end to the conflict. It is the military and those brave, brave, brave young men and women. What can we offer them? That's a mighty fine question and all I can say is that if nothing else, we must give them hope. Hope that they will get back to their wives. Hope that they will see the end of this war. Hope that they will be able to hug their mothers once more. Hope that they will be able to see their child grow into wise, educated men and women. It is hope that will motivate our nation to the end of this war. Mr Speaker, I cannot say how thing this war will last. I cannot say if we will win or lose. I cannot claim to know the legacy or fate of this war. But, Mr Speaker, I can say that I have hope and aspirations of victory and success. '' ''In the words of my Right Honorable friend, the Chancellor, "We must stand together in this time of peril". If it's not glaring obvious to the simple minded of us, any time or any resources wasted on political mind games is a life lost in vain. To all members of the Chamber, Mr Speaker, I remind them that they must watch their words, carefully. Think before they speak. Remember before they talk. Reflect before they mutter. Look on before they mummer. While words mean very little, it is often the worst of our words that stick in the minds of people. Offer hope, don't promise everything. Many members have written to me asking how they can get involved in the war effort. Offering hope to your constituents, is always my response. '' ''The mother with five children in the military. The father with his only son in the navy. The single parent working most days and nights to build munitions. The factory worker who never sees their family. The sick engineer, working all hours of the clock to repair. The tired and restless Warden, keeping watch of ours skies while every sleeps. The child practicing bomb shelters. The ordinary man, the ordinary woman. They all deserve hope. They need hope. They ask and beg for hope. Mr Speaker, they may well come looking for a lion army. We'll give them a army of lions. They may well come looking for a shark navy. We'll give them a navy of sharks. They may, too, come looking for an eagle-eyed air force. We'll give them an air force of eagles. Simply, frankly, truly: if they want it, we'll give it to them." Category:The Imperial Constitution